Fastening means



Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES EEBSCHEL A. BENEDICT, OI

EAST OBANGEQAND EDVARD I, ROLLER, OI SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

V FASTEIIING MEANS.

Application Med January 30, 1823. Serial No. 84,958.

This invention relates to fastening means and particularly to fastening means for hoods ofmotor vehicles.

The objects of the invention are to provide a fastening means which will be very sturdy and withstandhard usage as well as continued vibration-and movement in'connection with holding the hood of a motor vehicle closed; to provide a structure wherein a spring action may be employed and a sturdy spring utilized without necessitating suc strength of resiliency as to make use impractical; to obtain a uniform tension on the hood; to rovide a structure which utilizes parts readily a lied and easily manufactured or obtainfi le on the market; to secure simplicity of construction and operation, and to obtain other. advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referrin to the accompanying drawing in which -li e numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a motor vehicle showing .our improved fastening means in place;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of said fastening means of Fi re 1 with portions of the vehicle likewise s own; and 1 Figure 3 is'a sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawing, thereference numeral 1 indicates the motor vehicle in. general having a hinged hood 2 which it is desired to retam closed during normal operation of the vehicle. It has been common practice heretofore to provide a'spring actuated hook ad'acent the front and rear end of the hood w ich is adapted to engage a suitable catch for retainin the hood closed. A device of that nature ut 'zes a coil spring which has to be limited as to length and its strength of resiliency cannot exceed a' certain amount these limitations having resulted in the devices of that nature proving unsatis factory and frequently broken.

: In'Scarrying out our invention we provide a leaf spring 3 secured at a middle art of itself to a suitable bracket 4 attach to the hood intermediate its front and rear ed es.- This leaf spring 3 can be made ofsuita le strength so as to make it almost impossible to break it and et itwill be of suflicient length so its res iency does not exceed that ed to engage a hook 7 fast with respect to the vehicle body. The ends of leaf spring 3 are depressed and the links 6 are caught on to hooks 7 thereby holding the hood 2 of the vehicle securely closed but with appropriate resiliency'for accommodating normal movement of the hood during use of the vehicle. The securing device is readily released by pressing open the ends of said leaf spring and swingng links 6 out from engagement with the 00 s 7.

In order to secure the bracket 4 with assurance that it will not damage the hood,

end of the hood than the other we deem it advisable to provide a reinforcin bar 8 on the inner side of the hood exten g a considerable len h and as shown in the drawing substantially the length of the hood. This bar is preferably secured, as by rivets, to the hoo at various points, and the bracket 4 preferably is riveted through the hood to the bar. Obviouslye detail changes and modifica-- tions may made in the construction and use ofv our improved fastening means and we. do not wish to'be understood as limiting ourselves to the exact structure shown except asset forth in the following claims when construed in the li ht of the prior art. lIfIaving thus describe our invention, we 0 a1m:

pull loose or apply greater tension on one 15 1. In combination with a motor vehicle having a hood, a leaf spring secured to said hood at oneside thereof and releasably attached to a fixed part of the vehicle at the same side of the vehicle as said leaf s'prin is attached for securing the hood in closed position. I

2. In combination with a motor vehicle havin a hood, a leaf s rin extending longitudlnally ofsaid hoo an attached-thereto, and means for releasably attachingthe end of said leaf spring to fixed part of'the vehicle adjacent the 'hood for retaining said hood closed.

3. In combination with a motor vehicle having a hood, a bracket on said hood, a leaf spring secured at a middle part of itself to said bracket and having its ends free and the hood to said reinforcing bar, a leaf both ends on the same side of the hood, and spring secured at a middle part of itself to 10 means for releasably securing the ends of said bracket and carrying links at its outer said leaf spring to a fixed part of the vehifree ends, and hooks carried-by the vehicle 5 cle for holding the hood closed. adapted to be engaged by said links for re- 4. In combination with a motor vehicle siliently holding the hood closed.

having a hood, a reinforcing bar under the HERSCHEL A. BENEDICT. hood, a bracket secured on the outside of e v EDVARD M. MOLLER. 

